An imaging spectrometer is a device that can take a series of images that include information from a variety of wavelengths of light at fine spectral resolution. When an imaging spectrometer device senses different types of input light, such as ambient light for absorption measurements or laser light for fluorescence or Raman measurements, it can differentiate between materials that are usually indistinguishable to the naked eye in a nondestructive, non-contact manner.
Compared to single-point instruments, an imaging spectrometer can monitor many points at the same time and be much more easily positioned relative to the object of interest, vastly improving usability. The ability to switch between regular and hyperspectral imaging makes it possible to align the spectrometer with respect to the sample without an additional alignment camera. Faster imaging spectrometer systems can be incorporated with image stabilization and object tracking algorithms to account for human or object motion, which can be difficult for a non-imaging system. Being able to select the wavelength resolution on the fly and to obtain high spectral resolution images (e.g., with resolutions of 1.6 cm−1 for Raman spectroscopy to 70 cm−1 for low resolution spectroscopy) is also desirable for practical applications.
Due to the above advantages, imaging spectrometers can be useful in many applications, such as space probes, biological imaging, air pollution investigation, and health care monitoring, among others. However, existing imaging spectrometers are usually bulky and not readily accessible to the general population, since they are typically mounted to optical tables and include complex components to reject external vibrations.